“She needs to be sober for her evening with Cruz tonight. He’s laid the groundwork for a very exciting night together,” Poppy jokes and Betty gives me a wink.
“I got you, girl. I’ll give you one for the nerves now. Better to have your wits about you with a man like Cruz.”
“Why does everyone keep talking about him like that?” I grumble, taking my beer from Betty and bringing it to my lips for the first sip of cold lemony goodness. “I know I had stupid friendship blinders on, but really, it’s been years and I still missed the signs?”
“How that man looks at you is enough to set the world on fire,” Poppy comments before Betty adds.
“That combined with all that rizz. I hope you are prepared.”
“Rizz, really?” I give Betty a questioning look. She’s cooler than me, but her use of the word surprises me.
“I heard some frat-looking college guys saying it at a game. I made them explain it to me,” Betty says with a shrug of her shoulders as she finishes pouring Poppy’s equally tiny beer.
“Why is mine small too?”
“I see that James jersey. You’re going to need to be on top of your game tonight too, aren’t you?”
That makes Poppy’s cheeks flame pink, but she nods. “Good thinking, Betty,” she says, and slips a twenty into the tip jar as I swipe my card to pay for our drinks.
As we turn to walk away, Betty calls out to our backs. “I expect an update at tomorrow’s game, and both of you better be limping.”
The guys are heading back toward the dugouts from warmups as Poppy and I take our seats in the outfield. When Cruz and Hendrix get to the railing, they both lean against the padded barrier. Cruz is the first to glance up at the seats. He nudges Hendrix with his elbow, nodding toward where Poppy and I are both wearing big goofy smiles.
“Those freaking baseball pants,” I whine, as Cruz nods with a devilish grin, acknowledging that he saw me and he knows the state I am in.
“I think I’m gonna make Hendrix wear a pair for me one of these times.”
“Seriously. Can we talk about anything else? No sexy talk. I can’t deal with it right now.”
Poppy throws her head back and laughs at my discomfort. “Okay. I’ll try to keep myself under control. It’s hard with all this.” She waves two floppy hands towards the dugout.Trust me, I know.
The Bandits come out strong and take the lead from the first inning. When Cruz takes the plate, I watch anxiously as he traces a “J” in the dirt. Right before he gets into his stance, his eyes zero in on me and he winks, looking far too pleased with himself. It works. That cocky self assured attitude only makes me want him more desperately than I already do.
The first two pitches are balls and Cruz sits back waiting for the one he wants. When the third one is a fastball that comes in right over the plate, Cruz loads and swings with a speed and precision that is impressive, sending the ball sailing right up and over our heads into the second level.
Poppy and I are hoarse from cheering by the sixth inning when Dom dives for a catch in center field that looks impossibly out of reach but by some physics-defying miracle it sticks in his glove like a snow cone, and he comes crashing to the ground. Cruz is right there with him, ready to back up the play. He calls out and Dom flips it to him so quickly that I almost miss it. Cruz has the advantage of being on his feet to make the throw into third just in time to get the runner out. It’s a beautiful play that’s sure to end up in the highlight reel for ESPN.
I let my loudest whistle loose, earning me a smirk from Cruz as he and Dom celebrate. This is my favorite part about these seats. Sure, the WAG section he’s always trying to get me to sit in has impeccable service and is closer to the dugout, but out here I can act like a fool cheering and heckling my best friend on each night.
There’s a levity to Cruz as the outfield comes together to celebrate. The grin that explodes across his face is brighter than the stadium fireworks. I love seeing him like this. Free from worry, it’s a rare but beautiful sight. He hides it well from everyone else, but I see the grief he carries with him daily and the way it makes him fear for all the people in his life. This is the life he deserves, on the diamond with his best friends, looking untroubled.
The game is fast-paced and exciting, with the Bandits leading the entire time. It’s enough that I almost forget about the achy need sitting low in my core. That is, until the 8thinning when Cruz jogs into the outfield, points right at me, and mouths,“You’re mine.”
Shots fired, woman down.
I can’t even tell you what happens for the rest of the game as I’m reduced to a fidgeting puddle of need. I know the Bandits kept their lead for the win, but that’s almost wholly because of the fireworks going off at the end of the game.
Poppy tried talking to me a couple of times and I remember nodding and agreeing to which she laughed. Other than that, I was so lost in my thoughts about Cruz and tonight that I basically blacked out—both the excitement and the nerves taking over.
As we walk through the tunnels under the stadium to meet the guys, I’m wringing my hands. Am I really about to sleep with my best friend? Even though neither of us has said it, we both know that’s where tonight is leading.
“Lilah, stop for a second,” Poppy says, grabbing my elbow and pulling me off to the side of the concrete tunnel. She leans against the off-white wall with the teal Bandits logo emblazoned on it. I mirror her stance, facing her with my shoulder against the cool brick. Poppy’s bright green eyes shine with concern as her brow wrinkles with worry. “Talk to me. What’s going through that pretty blonde head of yours?”
I sigh, not sure where to start. Dropping my shoulder, I let my head rest on the wall. “I don’t know. I can’t get out of my head.”
“Are you having doubts about being more than friends?” she asks, toying with the ends of her red braid as she searches my face for any clues about how I’m feeling.
“No.” My answer is immediate and certain. “That’s not it. I know I want this. It just all feels very real. I haven’t been with anyone I care about since Brad, and even the casual encounters have been few and far between.”
